Jenn's World

Well, looks like I got the top three pairs in the ice dancing right, if not the order. Davis and White's long program is good, but not quite good enough to beat Virtue and Moir. I'm okay with that, the Canadians skated well.

I thought the Russians' original skate was overrated. The nice thing about all the other skates was it caught the flavor of the folk dances they were doing, like Davis and White stepping right out of Bollywood, down to the delicate hand motions. On the other hand, the Russian's aboriginal dance looked like people who had never actually seen an aboriginal dance doing what they thought it might look like. At least they toned down the skin-color thing.

Meanwhile, I saw a PBS Nature Special on Beauties and Beasties, talking about various ugly and beauty creatures and why their appearances had evolved the way they did, and how the ugliness sometimes gave creatures functional advantages.

One of the species covered was the Viperfish, which has got to me about the ugliest, most terrifying-looking things in existence. Even though they're not human predators, waking up face-to-face with one of these would seriously freak me out.

WRITING PROMPT #12

Title: Beasts and Beauties
Genre: Any
Type: Description

Try to write descriptions of the Viperfish. They can be twisted into any context--maybe your land is being overrun by monsters with Viperfish faces. Try to isolate what makes them so ugly and terrifying. The thin yellow teeth? The large black eyes staring at you with their beastial hunger?

Use these pictures to inspire yourself to write a description that would make Stephan King shudder. Remember that human beings have evolved to find certain things instinctively frightening. Remember that, when it comes to creating creatures that can inspire your characters to greater heights of fear, and use your descriptions to terrify the readers as well.

Now in contrast, write a description from a Viperfish's point of view. When a Viperfish looks at an attractive Viperfish, what does he notice? The shimmer of her scales? The delicate ridges in her chin? Can you find the beauty in the ugliness? Can you convince your reader that this is the most fearful thing he or she has every seen, but also the most lovely?

A new reader to Jenn's World (welcome!) pointed out a pretty good example of U.S. v. U.K. cover art. I've mentioned this a couple of times--they're so often completely different.

This is one example of where the U.K. cover kicks our collective butts. To the left is Final Empire, the first book in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series.

Honestly, this cover is so awesome, I'm thinking about ordering it from the U.K. (along with my missing Janny Wurts book...curse you U.S. publishers!)

While I like some of the hardcover art from the U.S. release of Mistborn, but the paperbook art...ick. I saw it and literally said: "That cover must be from a Buffy the Vampire spinoff novel."

Because that's what it looks like. Honestly.

Anyway, I now reference what must be one of my favorite author poems about the horribleness of their covers. Coincidentally, it is not only the best, but the only one I've found...

There's a bimbo on the cover of my book
There's a bimbo on the cover of my book
She is blonde and she is sexy, she
Is nowhere in the text, she
Is the bimbo on the cover of my book

— Mike Flynn

(Have I posted that one already? If I have...suck it up)

Normally, or rather sometimes when I'm not buried in my own book (Godsplay) revising it, I do a Monday writing prompt. I missed that this week due to the signing party for the Gathering Storm (awesome! Buy it! Read it!) so I'll do one now.

WRITING PROMPT #8

TITLE: Cover it
GENRE: Any
TYPE: Description

Pick a story, any story, any genre: and describe the WORST cover imaginable that would be possibly created for it. And then describe the author's horror when he opens the box. 100 words or so. Post it in comments or keep it to yourself and snicker.

M example: J.R.R. Tolkein/Fellowship of the rings: A line of blonde, nubile elven dancers form a congo line with Tom Bombadil (complete with yellow hat/coat) and the Barrow Wights on top of the Prancing Pony's bar. Yes, Arwen (who looks like Pamela Anderson) is hanging from the ceiling in a cage.

What have I been up to? Where does the time go?

Well, writing has been slow of late. I started re-reading the book from the beginning and was disappointed at how much better the beginning is than the middle/end. It feels fresher, more vibrant. Understandable, since I spent so long perfecting it--this must be my 3001st draft of Rachell running down the hillside. The earlier versions are so different its funny/amazing. I figured out that I need to bring the villains out a little more front and center--hard to do, since really the book is almost three separate sections in one, and each time the villain is different (oddly like Mercedes Lackey's early work tended to be--except darker and different in tone, theme, etc.). The main thing I think is I need to tune up the description in the later chapters. Dave's workshop encouraged me to slow down and add more description, but the further I got away from the workshop/the more pressed for words I was, the more bare things became. So I'm trying to overwrite and cut out later.

I find that I actually write better description when I'm zonked out because my mind goes strange, non-cliche places. So I edit during the day and write/describe at night.

But I think I'm going to have to go over it all AGAIN before I send it out to beta readers. So tack on another month's delay, alas. I love you for volunteering!

If there's anything to read, that is. I was shopping for swimsuits online--I'm having a big birthday bash to celebrate my 26th since I haven't been able to really celebrate my 24th or 25th (damn newspaper)--and I somehow managed to contract a nasty virus that's effectively killed my laptop. I don't know how--I didn't download anything, to my knowledge. Anyway, it won't let me open anything except for a window offering me anti-virus software. Ahh, modern day mafia tactics. Extortion in the digital age. Can't you see some nerd with bug-eye glasses bullying me for "protection" money?

Well, of course I said a few obscene words that were, shall we say, 'very descriptive'. I've been saving my novel to a flash drive so hopefully that's all right, but things like the word count comparisons, lists of repairs and possibly some scenes I wrote separately could be utterly lost. Including the end of the novel. Grumble.

I'm not too worried. Even if they can't drive away the malware, they can probably retrieve the word data. Maybe I'll take the opportunity to replace my laptop with one that works better.

Other than that, I've been job searching. I might get a job running a flight simulator for a star trek space center thing here in Utah. It looks fun. I get to work with kids and computers. Unfortunately, it would mean a half hour commute and waking up early on days I had flights.

At least, after all the trouble I went through, I found my new swimsuit for my big pool party. The link is here. Though I almost bought this one or this one. Who'd ever think I'd have to order a size large? Asian sizing for you, I suppose. Anyway, it's free shipping today at this site so if you want to order anything, do it today! I love the wedding dresses--I wonder how my family would react if I showed up to my wedding in fire engine red.